Morning journal and courier., 1887-08-05

cuts were masterly; but the bold man was soon struck down and severely mauled. A crowd came to the rescue and shot the beast; the hero recovered. FsThe manly weapon," is it's designation. In their party fights each side would swear that no other deadly arm should be used I accordingly witnessed one of these combats. Swords men, shield on arm, in twos and threes, came running to the scene of quarrel-s cows trespass. It was an exciting event. Clansmen were continually arriving and every man selected his foe. It was grand sword play. The head, legs and arms seemed to be the chief points of attack. Being British subject, passing through an independent State, was obliged to gallop of as fast as my horse could go at the com mencement of this battle.
 At the same time and place, near my camp, two brothers fought duel about land One was killed, the other we'll slashed. In two or three days passed by battle royal; the King of Oude's troops were besieging some refractory land owners who refused to pay rents. Heavy cannon were booming around and musketry cracking; the village swords
 man and feudal retainers, under cover of night, made many daring sally and left the print of their teghars on Moslem limbs. I
 saw blood stained bodies on rude cots being carried away to their homes. The unequal struggle had already lasted three days. That tough and stubborn peasantry could boast that in long years they had never once been defeated-no, not even by regular troops.
 Among some military trophies once saw very rude, rusty teghar-loeally worth a shilling-which had cleanly decapitated a raw recruit, severing coat collar, brass buckle and caste necklet of hard enamel beads. The nimble village rebel had sprung on the sepoy from Ambush while trimming his fintlock after misfre. This and all the Iow-priced teghars and tulwars are of very soft metal, capable of being bent and strengthened across the blade, while the arch or cutting portion, With razor edge, offers immense re. sistance in the hands of an expert, who, be- hind his shield, can watch and measure his opportunity. Only the straight thrust of British bayonets or dragoon blades can reach them
 The metal and finish of cutting arms im- prove when we enter North India. Hard steel of fine temper and fine workmanship used to be common until two Sikh wars and the great mutiny abolished the demand fol such deadly wares. The skilfu1 Mohamme. dan craftsman had to emigrate for liveli- hood, or too often dwindled into black smith of harmless occupation. I remember l in the good old times of the East India con- psny itineraut sword peddlers, Persians and Afghans of great stature and big turbans. 'Do you want any swordsi"
 'fYes, but where are theya"
 ''Here,' and the vendors hands were lift cIl u HIS ucd1 ClOou, nucI6 they SrOpeO awhile. Out sprang three or four shining steel snakes, elastic blades, unhandled Ia
 mods, twenty to fifty pounds each in value, sometimes more. Then the dealer put them through various severe tests to satisfy his customer, packing them away again in their hiding place should there be no sale, and going on his road. But there were many shapes and sizes and sorts of cimeters of great price, harder and less flexible, both plain and damascened The black steel of Khorassan, very rare in the market, repu- ted to cut off the neck of an anvil-an east ern anvil of course; the Persian and Central Asian specimens, elegantly watered in circu- lar veins, some so light that girl could use them, others so heavy that height and length of arm, with breadth of chest, were needful gifts of nature to utilize them-men like
 FtRob Roy" or ''Mahmud Ghuzni," whose
 hands hung below their knees. The latter
 notable carried an awful steel mace in pref
 erence to 8 sword, and smashed idols and
 idolaters with his own arms on all occasions